Counting meter



Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HERBERT F. OBERGFELL, OF RIVER FOREST, AND THEODORE C. RIEBE, OF CHICAGO. ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO RESERVE HOLDING COMPANY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI,

A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE COUNTING METER Application filed-Tune 18, 1928. Serial No. 286,114.

This invention relates in general to electromagnetic counting devices and is more particularly concerned with the type of counting device used in telephone exchanges associated with each subscribers line for the purpose of metering the total number of completed calls initiated by the subscriber and for other purposes.

Considerable difiiculty has been experienced in the past in constructing meters of this type which were reliable in operation, did not require continual adjustment and had means for accurately adjusting them. In addition it has taken a very heavy current to operate them and they have been inclined to stick'so that it was difficult to arrange for repeated metering without adjustment.

Accordingly it is an object. of the present invention to overcome these disadvantages and provide a meter which shall have narrower operating limits, thereby reducing false operations to a minimum and insuring reliable operation. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a meter which is more easily adjusted and once having been adjusted will not come out of adjustment.

In accordance with these and other objects not specifically enumerated the invention comprises a counting meter having an armature residual adjusting screw so arranged that the stroke of the armature against the core of the coil may be easily varied without dismantling the meter. The armature pawl is adjustable independent of the armature to take up any variance in its stroke when the counting gear is turned.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawin in which Fig. 1. represents a plan view 0? the new meter; Fig. 2 a view of the meter as seen from the rear or opposite side of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top view of the armature by itself with the residualfadjusting screw; while Fig. 4 is a side view, partly in section," along the line 44 of Fig, 1, but with the armature in operated position.

The meter consists essentially of the pcrating coil 1, surrounding the core 3 which is secured to the U-shaped magnetic metal yoke 2 by anut threaded on the bolt 4. The core 3 is provided with insulated spool heads 26 and 27 on each end thereof, and the non-magnetic metal brace 23 which slides over the top of the core 3 onto the spool head 26 and has a notch on each end thereof fitting into projections formed out of each side of the yoke 2. In this manner the whole coil structure is rigidly held in position on' the yoke '2 when the nut is tightened on the bolt 4.

The moving armature indicated generally at 5 is U-shaped and pivoted on the rod 21 opposite one end of the core 3. It carries the non-magnetic pawl 10 which is adapted to engage with the ratchet teeth 16 of the counting gear 17 as is clearly seen in Fig. 4. This whole mechanism is braced and held in position by the non-magnetic rods 15 into which counter-sunk screws are fastened from the outside of the yoke 2. The non-magnetic metal plates 13 on. each side magnetically insulate this mechanism from the magnetic metal yoke 2. In addition these plates 13 serve as bearings for the shafts on'the counting gear 17 and the ratchet detent 11, while a piece 12 is formed from them with a hook on the end to which the armature restoring spring 14 is fastened. By bending this hook the tension stored in the spring 14 may be conveniently adjusted. Other extensions of these plates (Fig. 4) bear against slots formed in the armature pivoting pin 21 and hold it in position so it will not slide out of engagement with the armature. The detent 11 has a long extension so that it is always held in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 16 by force of gravity. The lug 18 (Fig. 4) is adjustably and pivotally secured to the rod 15 and serves as a means for preventing the ratchet wheel 16 from over-running, by jamming the pawl 10 against the teeth after each stroke of the pawl. In this Fig. 4 the pawl is shown operated.

Referring now again to the armature 5 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 it will be seen that it is formed of single piece of metal bent into U-shape, with the ends of the U-shaped part bent slightly downward, and with holes through which the bearing pin 21 is fitted. At its central part the armature 5 has two projections 8 and 9, bent upward and formed out of it. One of them 8, has an oval hole cut into it (Fig. 1) for guiding the head of the residual adjusting screw 6. The other projection 9 is threaded to receive the threaded shank of the screw (3. At approximately midway of its length the screw 6 has an enlarged gradual sloping or tapering portion formed in it. Riveted to the front part of the armature 5 and tensioned against the sloping part of the screw 6 is a bronze plate 7. This plate 7 has a bent down portion which extends through a slot cut into the armature 5 and opposite the end of the core 3. With the foregoing in mind it will be noted that when the screw 6 is turned in, the sloping part of the screw 6 gradually bears down onto the bent down portion of the plate 7 which is tensioned against it, thereby forcing it beyond the bottom plane of the armature 5. IVhen the coil 1 is energized it attracts the armature 5 to the core and the projecting part of the plate 7 acts as a stop and prevents the armature from striking the core and also from sticking to it, which ordinarily occurs due to the lag in the flux of the magnetic circuit. At each operation of the armature 5 the pawl 10 moves the counting gear 17 one step forward.

The counting gear 17 it may be stated, is the usual counting-train employed for this purpose except that the rollers upon which the numerals are stamped are made of phenol fiber or bakelite to insure light weight. The other parts of this mechanism are made of non-magnetic metal, in fact all metal parts of the meter except the armature 5 and the yoke 2 are of non'magnetic material, so that the full magnetic flux will traverse the armature and the yoke when the coil is energized. The operating margin of the meter may be adjusted within very narrow limits and the current required to operate it is considerably less than previously used on meters in which a hole in the armature fitted over a long extension of the core when the meter was in operated position.

To compensate for the difference in length of the stroke of the pawl 10 when the armature stroke is adjusted by the screw 6, two slots 19 and 20 are cut into the armature 5 around the portion where the pawl 10 is pivoted to the armature. By bending this portion of the armature between the slots, backward or forward the pawl 10 may be adjusted so that it will always accurately engage the next tooth of the ratchet countgear wheel 16.

Threaded through the front end of the armature 5 and fastened thereto by a nut is a small adjustable screw 22 having its bottom end fitted with an insulated bushing. At each operation of the armature 5 this screw 22 strikes the flexible contact springs 25 and brings them into engagement with a contact on the terminal fastened to the spool head 26 to which one end of the winding of the coil 1 is attached. The springs themselves are attached to the other terminal of the coil. The upper spring 25, it will be noted, has a slight off-set )ortion at its midpoint bearing against tie lower spring. This is so that it will not be necessary for the pin 22 to be adjusted so far out that it will strike onto the terminal before contact is made with it. These contacts may be utilized to complete a holding circuit for the meter or serve as a means for short-circuiting it. Connections to the meter are provided by means of the soldering tags attached to the lower end of the coil 1 on the spool head 27 Although this invention is disclosed in its preferred embodiment it is capable of any number of variations and it is desired not to be limited to the exact structure shown. but only by the extent of the appended claims.

hat is claimed is:

1. In an electromagnetic device, a coil having a core, an armature pivoted opposite one end of said core and in operative relation therewith, and means on said armature adjustably arranged parallel to the plane of the armature for limiting the movement of the armature against said core.

2. In an electromagnetic device, a coil having a core, an armature in operative relation to said core, and means on said armature adjustable in a plane arallel to the plane of said armature for limiting its movement against said core.

3. In an electromagnetic device a coil having a core, an armature pivoted in operative relation opposite one end of said core, and adjustable means on said armature movable in a plane perpendicular to said core for varying the movement of said armature against said core when said coil is energized.

4. In an electromagnetic device, a coil having a core, an armature pivoted in operative relation to the end of said core, an adjusting screw mounted on two projections on top of said armature, and means controlled by said screw for limiting the movement of said armature against said core.

5. In an electromagnetic device, a coil having a core, an armature pivoted in operative relation to the end of said core, an adjusting screw mounted between two upturned projections on said armature, a tapering shank on said screw between said projections, and means cooperating with said shank when said screw is turned for limiting the move ment of said armature against said core.

6. An electromagnetic device comprising a coil, a core, and an armature pivoted opposite one end of the core, an adjusting screw on saidarmature held in position by two projections formed on the armature, a tensioned plate fastened to said armature and extending through an opening therein, and means on said screw for moving said plate through said opening on said armature for varying the movement of said armature against said core.

7. In an electromagnetic device comprising a coil having a core, an armature pivotally secured in operative relation to said core, an adjusting screw fastened on said armature and arranged in the same plane thereto, a tensioned plate on said armature having a projection extending through an opening in the armature, and a tapered portion on said screw for adjustably moving said projection on said plate through said opening to vary the movement of said armature against said core.

8. In an electromagnetic device comprising a coil having a core, an armature pivoted in operative relation to said core, an adjusting screw fastened on top of said armature and adjustable in a plane parallel thereto, a tensioned plate on said armature below said screw having a projection extending through a hole in the armature opposite said core, and a tapered portion on said screw for adjustably varying the movement of said armature against said core.

9. In an electromagnetic device comprising a coil having a core, an armature pivoted opposite said core, an adjustin screw fastened on said armature and ad ustable in a plane parallel thereto and perpendicular to said core, a tensioned plate on said armature below said screw and having a projection thereon extending through an opening in the armature opposite the core, and a tapered ortion on said screw for movin said pro ection on said plate through sai opening to vary the movement of said armature against said core.

10. In an electromagnetic device, a coil having a core, an armature pivoted opposite said core and having an ad ustment t ereon for varying the movement of said armature against the core, said adjustment comprising a tapered screw fastened between two upturned projections on top of said armature and parallel to its plane thereof and a tensioned plate on the armature having a projection bearing on said tapered screw and extending through a hole in said armature opposite the end of the core.

11. An armature adjusting means for relays comprising an armature having two upturned projections for mounting an adjusting screw having a tapered portion between said projections, a tensioned plate on said armature having a turned down projection bearing against said tapered portion on said screw and extending through an opening in said armature opposite the core of the relay, and means for turning said adjustment screw to move the projection of said plate through the opening in said armature to vary the movement of the armature against the core.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day of June, A. D. 1928.

HERBERT F. OBERGFELL. In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day of June, A. D. 1928.

THEODORE C. RIEBE. 

